A qualitative and quantitative analysis is described of the amount of ventricular wall myocardial scarring and the degree and extent of coronary arterial narrowing by atherosclerotic plaques in the entire lengths of each of the 4 major epicardial coronary arteries in 18 necropsy patients with healed transmural myocardial infarcts, chronic congestive heart failure and cardiomegaly. Of 1012 five-mm segments of the 4 major epicardial coronary arteries examined in the 18 study patients (average 54 segments per patient), 298 segments (29%) were 76 to 100% narrowed in cross-sectional area by atherosclerotic plaqus (in 16 control subjects equals 6%), 370 (37%) were 51 to 75% narrowed (controls equals 35%), 227 (23%) were 26 to 50% narrowed (controls equals 43%), and 117 (11%) were 0 to 25% narrowed (controls equals 16%).